


The Unexpected Task

by farefortune



Category: Winner (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 19:49:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13442085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farefortune/pseuds/farefortune
Summary: Jinwoo and Seunghoon’s growing friendship (and more) over the years of sharing laughs, secrets, and butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.





	The Unexpected Task

 

**3rd Year**

 

“What are you doing!”

 

“Going to talk to him.”

 

“What? Why!”

 

Jinwoo looks across the Three Broomsticks to a boy sitting at a table by himself. Jinwoo has no qualms about staring because, for one, he’s not the only one doing it, and two, the boy in question hasn’t lifted his eyes from the mug of butterbeer in front of him.

 

Jinwoo knows his name is Seunghoon. And even if he hadn’t known before there was no way Jinwoo would have made it through the week without learning it. Seunghoon is all anyone’s been able to talk about. Jinwoo also knows that he’s the tallest boy in their year but you wouldn’t know it by the way he’s currently slouching in his chair with forced casualness. It makes him seem smaller… and lonely. And Jinwoo knows what it’s like to be lonely too.

 

“Jinwoo?”

 

Jinwoo looks up to see his housemates waiting on an answer. He can’t really explain himself but he also doesn’t feel the need to so he just says, “Because I want to.”

 

And he stands up to make his way towards Seunghoon.

 

“Seunghoon, right? Can I sit here?” He asks when he reaches the table.

 

Seunghoon jerks his head up in surprise but not wanting to appear eager he quickly schools his face into bland indifference. “It’s not like anyone else is,” he says and shrugs. Jinwoo takes this as an invitation and sits down.

 

Seunghoon doesn’t seem in the mood to talk as he continues to sip at his butterbeer and stare at the table. There’s a moment of awkward silence made all the worse by the rise of whispers around them. So Jinwoo guesses it’s up to him to strike up a conversation.

 

“So I guess you don’t have any friends anymore, huh?”

 

Seunghoon chokes on the butterbeer he was drinking and somehow simultaneously coughs and glares at Jinwoo. The conversation starter seems to have worked though because after Seunghoon recovers he sarcastically replies, “Why? Vying for the position?”

 

Jinwoo actually takes a moment to think about it. While somehow being in the friendliest and most inclusive house of Hogwarts he still has yet to feel like he fits in somewhere. He always seems to be the third of a duo or the add on to an already existing group. Of course he’s made friends and acquaintances but there’s still no one that’s his go-to partner in class or that he wants to write to over the summer or do all those things that good friends seem to do. He knows he’s not really good at making friends and he looks over at Seunghoon, a boy who looks to be in need of some friends, and decides _why not_.

 

“Yeah, sure. I don’t see anyone else lining up.”

 

“What? _Why?_ ” Seunghoon winces like the question escaped him before he could think about it so he quickly says, “If you’re thinking about gathering information so you can go back to your friends and gossip then you can just leave.”

 

Jinwoo rolls his eyes. “If I wanted to gossip about you then I would have done it a long time ago.” And he adds after Seunghoon’s sceptical look, “I was there. I know what actually happened.”

 

Jinwoo didn’t mean to enter the Den of Snakes, as the other houses dubbed the potions classroom where Slytherin students would sometimes gather during breaks, but he had forgotten his snack bag and had gone back to grab it.

 

Jinwoo had stopped just outside the classroom because it didn’t take magic to hear the argument going on in the room when he got there. Who knew that, Seunghoon, a Slytherin pureblood, would stand up to his own friends for their use of the word _mudblood_? But of course that part of the story didn’t survive through many retellings. What other students did continue to talk about was the ensuing fight that broke out between Seunghoon and the 4th year Slytherin he had called out. Spells and curses had flown around the classroom and it ended with both boys in the hospital wing.

 

Jinwoo wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t been there.

 

He doesn’t miss the blush that covers Seunghoon’s face and asks, “Embarrassed that I found out you’re actually a good person?”

 

“Am I actually a good person if I’m starting to regret it all?” Seunghoon asks, strangely sincere.

 

“Well, you did a good thing, Seunghoon. Which is at least a step in the right direction towards being a good person.”

 

Seunghoon snorts. “What a Hufflepuff thing to say.”

 

Jinwoo makes like he’s about to get up and leave but stops when he feels a hand around his wrist.

 

“Don’t go!” Seunghoon says, panic evident in his voice. Jinwoo was just joking but he’s sure to put on a triumphant smile as he sits back down. “Ok. Fine. Then your first favor as my friend-”

 

“Are we friends then? And I didn’t seem to hear you _ask_ for a favor.” Jinwoo interrupts, innocently tapping his chin.

 

“Yes, we’re friends.” Seunghoon admits like it’s painful. “And since we’re friends--”

 

“Do you even know my name?”

 

“And since we’re friends, _Jinwoo_ , can you do me a favor?”

 

“Can you do me a favor…” Jinwoo leads. Seunghoon looks murderous but it only amuses Jinwoo. “You’d think as a pureblood wizard you’d know the magic words.”

 

“Can you do me a favor, _please_?”

 

Jinwoo pauses for dramatic effect but then laughs and relents. “Yeah, I guess. What is it?”

 

“...I think I’m drunk.”

 

Jinwoo scrunches his eyebrows together, not understanding for a moment, until he really looks at Seunghoon. His slouch, the way he keeps saying more than he means to, and what Jinwoo thought was a blush is actually a flush from the alcohol.

 

“What? _How_? You’ve only been drinking butterbeer!” Jinwoo snatches Seunghoon’s mug away and takes a sniff and a sip. It’s still nice and warm and Jinwoo might take a few more sips just to continue feeling the warming sensation. “It really is just butterbeer. Do you have the alcohol tolerance of a house elf?”

 

“I don’t know,” Seunghoon groans and drops his head onto the table. “Can you _please_ just get me out of here?”

 

Jinwoo quickly pays for the butterbeer and escorts Seunghoon out the Three Broomsticks, eyes and whispers following them all the way out.

 

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”

 

Which is how Jinwoo finds himself admiring the beautiful glow the setting sun casts against the colorful array of autumn leaves collecting on the path and falling from the trees while trying _not_ to look at Seunghoon barfing at the base of one of those said trees. Jinwoo figures he should at least be a little supportive and pats Seunghoon’s back while he continues to be sick.

 

And thus was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

 

**4th Year**

 

“I can’t believe you.”

 

“You could’ve stopped me at any time, you know.”

 

Seunghoon snorts in disbelief. “Yeah, right.”

 

“Need I remind you that you fought him just last year.”

 

“Yeah, with spells! I didn’t _punch him in the face_!”

 

“It’s a pity. He’s got a very punchable face.” Jinwoo pauses to drink the warm butterbeer he ordered. “To be fair, he bet me _and_ dared me to do it.”

 

“I don’t think him saying ‘ _Bet you won’t do it. You wouldn’t dare!_ ’ quite counts and it won’t do much for a defense.”

 

“So I’ll get detention and lose some house points. I don’t care about that,” Jinwoo says, his anger rising again. “You don’t think he deserved it?”

 

“It’s not that. I know he does.” Seunghoon sighs and leans back in his chair. It’s an old argument. “I just didn’t want you to get involved. I can handle it myself.”

 

“I know you can, but for how long? Someone had to put a stop to it. And why not me? I’m not going to let him treat my best friend like that.”

 

His best friend. Despite the odd beginning to their friendship, Seunghoon has become his best friend. They know each other's favorite colors.

 

_(What’s your favorite color?_

 

_Why do you care?_

 

_Just tell me._

 

_Orange._

 

_That’s your favorite color? It’s so ugly. Change it.)_

 

They wrote to each other over the summer.

 

_(Seunghoon,_

 

_Since we’re friends now we should probably write to each other. Write me back._

 

_Jinwoo_

 

_Jinwoo,_

 

_No._

 

_Seunghoon_

 

_Seunghoon,_

 

_I can’t believe you made your poor owl fly all the way over just for that. It continues to astound me as to why you have no other friends…)_

 

They pair up in all the classes they have together.

 

_(You know I’d probably be getting a better grade if I had a different partner._

 

_And I’d probably have a partner that whines less, so who’s really making the sacrifice here?)_

 

And as the fifth year Slytherin continues to target Seunghoon, Seunghoon seems to spend more time in the Hufflepuff common room than his own. Some of the younger students have even gotten so used to him they’ve stopped running away at the sight of him.

 

“Thank you. Really.” Seunghoon says, looking directly at Jinwoo to make sure he knows he means it. They don’t do sincerity much in their friendship but it doesn’t mean it’s not there in everything they do for eachother.

 

“It’s nothing you wouldn’t have done for me.”

 

“Punching someone? I might have tried but I don’t think I would have done it as well as you. How did you even-- that was a lucky shot.”

 

“You could even say…” Jinwoo rustles through his pocket and pulls out a small vial filled with a molten gold liquid. He waves it front of Seunghoon. “A liquid luck-y shot.”

 

Seunghoon had given him the vial of _Felix Felicis_ for his birthday.

 

“Ugh,” Seunghoon groans, whether at his joke or his revelation Jinwoo doesn’t know. “I knew it! You should’ve been in Slytherin.”

 

“And live most of the year in a damp and dark dungeon? No, thank you.”

 

“I made it for you for you to use it on yourself. Not to use it in fights on my behalf.”

 

“Look, I was really just using it hoping I’d get out of quidditch practice. It seems Felix was the one that wanted me to get into a fight.”

 

Seunghoon lets out one of his long suffering sighs.

 

“Give me some of that. I need it.” Seunghoon takes the other molten gold liquid on the table, Jinwoo’s butterbeer, from him and takes a few large gulps.

 

“Ok, I think that’s enough,” Jinwoo says, prying the mug away from Seunghoon. “I’m sure you don’t want a repeat of last year.”

 

“Don’t remind me,” Seunghoon complains. “That’s when we became friends. I don’t think I could deal with two of you.”

 

“Hey!”

 

**5th Year**

 

Jinwoo is not happy.

 

It’s the first Hogsmeade trip of the year and he’s stuck in the hospital wing. It was a quidditch accident and he really has no one but himself to blame but it hasn’t stopped him from trying.

 

Currently, he’s blaming the bickering pair of friends next to his bed for his bad mood.

 

“How was I supposed to know we’d wear the same thing? Why don’t you go change then?”

 

“Why should I be the one to change? How about you--”

 

“Please, both of you, just shut up. Nobody cares.”

 

Mino and Seungyoon had come to bother him under the guise of a visit. Jinwoo had faked pain as soon as they walked in (boisterous and bickering) but the healer on duty just continued to flip through her copy of Witch Weekly, not paying him any mind.

 

“What’s wrong? Is it your arm?” Mino asks with genuine worry and it makes Jinwoo feel a little guilty. But not guilty enough.

 

“Oh, I don’t know maybe it’s the fact that I broke my arm and it’s completely fine now but _some people_ just want to suck the joy out of life.” Jinwoo pitches his voice to get a reaction from the healer but no such luck. “Or maybe it’s the fact that my visitors more often give me a headache than any sort of peace? Or maybe--”

 

“Ok, ok. We get it. We’ll head out now.” Seungyoon says, ever the peacemaker. “By the way Seunghoon said--”

 

“Seunghoon!” Jinwoo’s almost growls. “Well, you can tell Seung--”

 

“No yelling in the hospital wing.” The healer intones.

 

“Don’t worry. You can tell him yourself when he visits. That’s what he wanted me to tell you.” Seungyoon says as he and Mino slip out the door.

 

Jinwoo knows that the broken arm, noisy friends, and negligent healer aren’t to blame. Not really.

 

So it has to be Seunghoon.

 

Where was he? Jinwoo had only seen him once at the beginning of his stay in the hospital wing and not once since. Was he enjoying the first trip of Hogsmeade without him? And with who?

 

It’s not like Seunghoon couldn’t have other friends. They both did. To both their surprise they had an actual friend group now. The kind that hung out during breaks and made plans when they went down to Hogsmeade.

 

In potions Seunghoon even partnered with Mino because it was Seunghoon’s best subject and Mino could really use the help. And sometimes Seunghoon would even hang out with Seungyoon in the Ravenclaw common room because they were both prefects and Seunghoon liked to show off because he could just enter by solving the riddle.

 

And everyone knew his favorite color… blue. Or was it orange? Did he change it back?

 

Either way, none of that mattered to Jinwoo. Because he’d never felt so secure in a role as he did as Seunghoon’s best friend.

 

Until now that is.

 

Jinwoo’s not sure what changed but lately when around Seunghoon he got this unsettling feeling. And then now that unsettling feeling came around even when Seunghoon wasn’t. Like he hadn’t been for the past few days.

 

“This sucks.”

 

“I know.”

 

Jinwoo isn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there, stewing in his thoughts, but his head whips around at the sound of Seunghoon’s voice. Jinwoo had prepared himself to be cold and angry but at the sight of Seunghoon’s smile as he walks towards him all he can feel is utter relief.

 

“Nice of you to visit. _Finally_.”

 

“Seungyoon told me you were cranky.” Seunghoon chuckles, of course with no apology or explanation. “So we both came to visit.”

 

Both? Jinwoo quirks an eyebrow. Seunghoon’s smile only grows wider. “Have you been drinking butterbeer again?”

 

“Of course not. You think I’d go to Hogsmeade without you?” Seunghoon jokes so he doesn’t know just how much his words reassure Jinwoo. “I haven’t been around because I’ve been working on something… for you.”

 

“Something that involves Seungyoon?”

 

“Right.”

 

“Actual Seungyoon or this phantom Seungyoon that you keep insisting is here.”

 

“Kind of both. Don’t worry.”

 

“I wasn’t but now I am.”

 

“Here, let me show you.” Seunghoon pulls the curtain next to his bed a bit to obviously hide what he’s about to show Jinwoo from the healer. He needn’t have bothered. At this point he could have dragged in a dragon and she wouldn’t have even flinched.

 

It isn’t a dragon though. Seunghoon tugs on an invisibility cloak that’s been apparently in use next to him and unveils… well, himself.

 

Another Jinwoo.

 

“What the--” Jinwoo hisses but Seunghoon covers his mouth before he can curse.

 

“I know. It’s weird. But hear me out.” Seunghoon slowly takes his hand off Jinwoo’s mouth. “This,” He motions to other Jinwoo, who waves at him. “Is Seungyoon. I’ve been finishing up polyjuice potion for tonight. I thought I’d blind two trolls with one mirror and give Seungyoon the break he keeps complaining that he needs _and_ break you out of--”

 

“So when do we leave?” Jinwoo interrupts, immediately flinging off his blankets.

 

“I knew you’d be game.”

 

In the next few minutes Seunghoon settles the invisibility cloak over Jinwoo and Seungyoon leans back in the hospital bed with his hands behind his head, taking no time to get comfortable.

 

“Have fun,” Seungyoon says. It’s downright strange to see such a Seungyoon-like expression on his own face and to hear his own voice. Jinwoo shivers and takes a moment to threaten Seungyoon, “Don’t you dare embarrass me.”

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Seungyoon replies with a lazy wave and Seunghoon and Jinwoo are off.

 

They “sneak” past the healer, wind their way through Hogwarts and some secret passageways, until finally, _finally_ they’re in Hogsmeade at the Three Broomsticks with two mugs of warm butterbeer between them. Seunghoon makes a quick movement to slide a mug closer to Jinwoo who quickly envelops it to fit under the invisibility cloak with him, no one the wiser. Seunghoon’s own mug must be for show.

 

It’s busy in the pub so nobody’s paying attention and while Seunghoon’s gotten more approachable over the past two years no one else would try and invite themselves to sit with him. Not like Jinwoo did.

 

“Feeling better?” Seunghoon asks, not even looking at him (well, not like he really could anyways but that’s besides the point). Seunghoon just knows.

 

Like he knows that when Jinwoo was eleven and went to Diagon Alley for the first time the guide assigned to him bought him warm butterbeer and it was his first taste of something magical. And that it brought him comfort over the years of being muggle-born and being introduced to this wondrous other world that while it brought him so much happiness to be a part of it all also made him feel so small and lonely, leaving behind all he’d ever known. It became his own liquid luck, before he ever knew what _Felix Felicis_ was.

 

He and Seunghoon had butterbeer when they became friends. That’s all the proof he needs.

 

Jinwoo hadn’t ever told anyone all that until Seunghoon. And even though Seunghoon is pureblood and had been born into the wizarding world and all its magic, he understood and never made Jinwoo feel stupid for putting importance on something so insignificant. It was important to Jinwoo so it was important to him too. And it was why they were here now.

 

“Jinwoo?” Seunghoon questions but this time he’s looking directly into Jinwoo’s eyes. Jinwoo has no idea how.

 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Jinwoo answers and goes to take a sip of his butterbeer.

 

And then Seunghoon breaks into a smile and Jinwoo feels himself warm from the top of his head to his toes. And he looks down to see that he hasn’t touched a drop of his butterbeer.

 

Fuck.

 

He’s in love with his best friend.

 

**6th Year**

 

“Is, uh, everything ok?” Jinwoo can’t help but ask. 

 

Seunghoon has been jittery this entire outing, tugging at his collar in his nervous habit, and acting downright weird.

 

“Sorry we all can’t be--” Seunghoon starts scathingly but stops himself and continues in a polite tone, “Yeah, everything’s fine. Are you sure you don’t want something else?”

 

This is what Jinwoo means by weird. Seunghoon’s being strangely… nice. Which sounds bad, but when your friendship is based on affection mostly shown through insults, anything remotely nice comes under suspicion. 

 

“More than this?” Jinwoo motions to the spread on the table. He has a mug of butterbeer and they each have a platter of food between them. It’s rare that they have food at the Three Broomsticks and even rarer that Seunghoon offers to pay so Jinwoo isn’t going to pass up the opportunity. He always insists there’s a castle full of free food and why would he waste his money on food outside of it. Jinwoo wonders sometimes how he could be in love with someone so stingy but love works in mysterious ways.

 

“Well, you didn’t want to go anywhere else so we might as well make the best of it here.”

 

“Did you  _ really _ want to go to Madam Puddifoots?” 

 

They’d only gone in there once when Mino had insisted that all his tea leaf readings in divination included the Grim and wanted them all to watch the entire process so he could prove he wasn’t exaggerating or lying. 

 

Mino’s still alive if that answers the question.

 

“Not really. I just thought we could go somewhere different.”

 

“Why?”

 

And there goes that exasperated look that Jinwoo can’t interpret. Which is another odd thing. After four years of friendship Jinwoo knows all of Seunghoon’s looks, especially after one year of knowing he’s in love and starting to look for signs that, frankly, don’t seem to be there. 

 

He’s tried to convince himself that he could be content just loving Seunghoon as his best friend. But then Seunghoon will put his head on Jinwoo’s shoulder and his traitorous heart will beat faster. Or Jinwoo’s traitorous eyes will stray towards Seunghoon’s lips when he talks and he’ll have to ask Seunghoon to repeat himself because Jinwoo was lost in the thought of how his lips would feel like against Seunghoon’s. It’s torture. But Jinwoo knows it could be worse. Much worse.

 

He could ruin the one friendship and lose the one person that he doesn’t even want to imagine losing. There’s nothing Jinwoo wouldn’t do to prevent that.

 

“Isn’t it like a tradition of ours by now?”

 

“A tradition?” And then Seunghoon face breaks into a smile,  _ that smile _ , the one Seunghoon has no idea the kind of effect it has on Jinwoo’s resolve. “I like the sound of that.”

 

They drink, eat, and chat with normalcy after that, all comfortable banter. 

 

It isn’t until everyone else comes to join them that it all goes wrong. 

 

Jinwoo’s waving them over when he looks over at Seunghoon who looks confused and also… a little hurt?

 

“You don’t want them to join?” Jinwoo asks, just as confused.

 

“I just thought-- Well, I thought our date would be different from what we usually do.”

 

“...”

 

“Our what!” Jinwoo stares at nothing, just completely dumbfounded for a moment, while the events of the day play back in his mind and everything starts to make horrible sense. Seunghoon’s careful attention to his appearance, his nervousness, and his plans for the day. “Oh my god!  _ That’s _ what this was--”

 

“Hey guys!” Mino exclaims, cheerfully. Their group of friends reach the table at the worst possible moment.

 

“I have to go!” Seunghoon practically bolts from the table. By the time Jinwoo says, “Seunghoon, wait!” He’s out the door of the Three Broomsticks.

 

( _ Was it something I said? _ Mino can’t help but worry.)

 

Jinwoo sees Seunghoon heading up towards the castle and has to practically run to catch up with him. Curse his long legs. “Seunghoon, wait!”

 

Seunghoon picks up his pace.

 

“Will you just listen to me!” Jinwoo gets in front of him and blocks Seunghoon’s way. It’s still a little early for most people to return to the castle so thankfully the path is deserted. 

 

“You don’t have to explain yourself.” Seunghoon moves to go around him but Jinwoo moves with him. Seunghoon then moves to the right but Jinwoo blocks him there too. They continue this ridiculous dance for a bit before Jinwoo becomes fed up.

 

“Just stop!” Jinwoo grabs Seunghoon’s face between his hands and forces him to look into his eyes. “And  _ listen _ to me-- I love you. I’m  _ in _ love with you! I didn’t know it was supposed to be a date but I’m really happy you wanted it to be one. I was just surprised.”

 

“You’re in love with me?” Seunghoon questions, stunned.

 

“I’m in love with you.” Jinwoo repeats, smiling and breathless. He could be breathless from running but he likes to think it’s the tender moment.

 

“Then-- how could you not know it was a date!” Seunghoon steps back from Jinwoo’s hands. It seems he’s not done being dramatic. “After I asked!”

 

“Asked! You  _ said _ after we made plans to visit Hogsmeade, like we always do, I quote, ‘It’s a date.’”

 

“See!”

 

“It’s common expression! And I didn’t want to read into it more than I should. And you-- you said it with  _ finger guns _ !”

 

“I--”

 

“Finger guns, Seunghoon!”

 

“Ok, fine. I’ll give you that. But, really, how could you not know!”

 

“We just went over--”

 

“No! How could you not know I’m in love with you too!”

 

“I don’t know! Maybe because that’s the first time you said it!”

 

“Well... I’m in love with you!”

 

“Good! Because I’m in love with you too!”

 

They’re practically shouting at this point and so the ensuing silence is noticeable. 

 

“Are we really arguing about being in love with each other?” Seunghoon laughs.

 

“It would seem so.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because you’re ridiculous and a horrible influence.”

 

“ _ I’m _ the horri--”

 

“I love you.” Jinwoo steps up to Seunghoon and encircles his arms around Seunghoon’s neck.

 

“Is this how you plan to stop all our arguments then? By telling me you love me?” Seunghoon’s smiles says that he wouldn’t mind one bit and he twines his arms around Jinwoo’s waist and pulls them even closer. 

 

“No. I plan to tell you I love you a lot but I plan to stop all our arguments like this--”

 

And Jinwoo stands on his toes and kisses Seunghoon just like he’s wondered, imagined, and dreamed. Seunghoon returns his kiss just as fervently and it makes Jinwoo wonder if he’s dreamed about this just as much as he has.

 

It’s better though. It’s real.

 

They’re walking hand in hand back up to the castle when Jinwoo asks, “So when did you know? That you were in love with me?”

 

Seunghoon thinks on it for a moment before replying, “I don’t really know. I loved you as my best friend already, so falling in love with you just felt like everything falling into place. It felt so natural I didn’t realize it for a while. When I did, all I thought was, ‘Of course I am. How could anyone know him like I do and not be?’”

 

“That’s sweet. Falling was the same for me but realizing it hit me like a ton of bricks.”

 

“When was that?”

 

“Last year. The night you broke me out of the hospital wing and took me to the Three Broomsticks. I was in such a bad mood that I thought if I could just sit in peace I’d be fine. Then I thought if I could just get out of the castle and enjoy the day like everyone else then I’d feel better. But when I finally saw you and then we got there, I realized nothing else really mattered. It was just you. I just wanted to be with you--”

 

Seunghoon interrupts him with a kiss so thorough that they end up being some of the last of the students to get back to the castle.

 

.

.

.

  
(Back at the Three Broomsticks Seungyoon complains, “They owe me! How is it that _I_ end paying for _their_ date?”)


End file.
